Granite Hills hurdler nears his goal

Granite Hills senior Kevin Finley’s goal is to crack 14 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles and break the Eagles’ school record held by Finley’s coach, Jeff Hunter, at 13.98.

John Gastaldo

Granite Hills senior Kevin Finley’s goal is to crack 14 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles and break the Eagles’ school record held by Finley’s coach, Jeff Hunter, at 13.98.

Granite Hills senior Kevin Finley’s goal is to crack 14 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles and break the Eagles’ school record held by Finley’s coach, Jeff Hunter, at 13.98. (John Gastaldo)

Steve Brand, SPECIAL TO THE UNION-TRIBUNE

ESCONDIDO — Granite Hills’ Kevin Finley isn’t much different from most athletes, just faster.

After roaring to a personal-best 14.02 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles at the Escondido Invitational on Friday night, Finley was all smiles. For about five minutes. Then the realization that he barely missed his real goal, cracking the 14-second barrier, tempered his celebration.

“I’m just that much closer (to dipping under 14.0),” said Finley, last year’s state runner-up. “I’ll get it by coming down off the hurdles faster. I was floating today. But it’s getting better.”

Finley’s time bested the meet record of 14.05 set by Jeff Hunter in 2001. Hunter, who went on to run a Granite Hills school record 13.98, is now coaching Finley.

“I’ll enjoy getting a personal record today and get back to work,” said Finley, who clearly would relish taking down Hunter’s mark and making a run at the San Diego Section record of 13.86 set in 1997 by Montgomery’s Reggie DePass.

Though most of the Escondido Invitational’s listed girls meet bests were bettered because this is only the second year a full complement of events has been offered, both of the 1,600-meter standards fell to outstanding performances.

Rancho Buena Vista junior Chris Brewer scorched the final 200 meters to post a 4:11.13, erasing the 16-year-old record of 4:12.7 set by St. Augustine’s Mark Hauser. Runner-up Darren Fahy of La Costa Canyon was also under the previous best as the sophomore burned a personal record 4:12.08.

“I wanted to go out faster because I was looking for a sub-4:10, but when I tried to make a move my legs felt really stiff,” said Brewer. “So I sat back and waited to make one last move with 150 meters to go. Down the stretch I was tying up, but I had enough left.”

Brewer credits lifting weights and swimming since last summer for giving him an edge on the track, where he has that burst of speed that great milers possess.

The girls 1,600 wasn’t bad, either, as Mt. Carmel’s Erin Menefee used a fast pace by Torrey Pines’ Megan Morgan to shave more than 10 seconds off her season best, running 4:51.28, the fourth-fastest in the nation this year.

“That was all Megan,” said a jubilant Menefee, who signed with the University of Arizona. “All I wanted was to get under five minutes — this is beyond anything I wanted to do.

“I was behind Megan with 600 to go, but I knew I had the speed because I run the 4x400 relay. I was so close to breaking 4:50, though, so now that’s my new goal.”

In the section finals she’ll get to race against Torrey Pines’ Alli Billmeyer, who has run the fastest time in the state and section this year at 4:50.10. Menefee is looking forward to it, even though neither is expected to take it out like Morgan did.